16.10
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā / 16. Bandhanamokṣa (बन्धनमोक्ष) / 16.10
न निर्वाणसमारोपो न संसारापकर्षणम् यत्र कस् तत्र संसारो निर्वाणं किं विकल्प्यते
na nirvāṇasamāropo na saṃsārāpakarṣaṇam yatra kas tatra saṃsāro nirvāṇaṃ kiṃ vikalpyate
The line
Not a compound: release, samā (समा), and ropa (रोप), not a compound: the round, a lowering, and ṇama (णम), where, who, there, the round, release, what, in vikalpyata (विकल्प्यत).
Where it sits
In Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (मूलमध्यमककारिका), chapter 16. Bandhanamokṣa (बन्धनमोक्ष). Bondage and release. The words of this line are the ones to keep. A shorter line after this one may leave them unsaid.
Split: na (न) + nirvāṇa-samā-ropaḥ (निर्वाण-समा-रोपः) + na (न) + saṃsāra-apakarṣa-ṇama (संसार-अपकर्ष-णम) + yatra (यत्र) + kaḥ (कः) + tatra (तत्र) + saṃsāraḥ (संसारः) + nirvāṇaṃ (निर्वाणं) + kiṃ (किं) + vikalpyate (विकल्प्यते)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| nirvāṇa-samā-ropaḥ (निर्वाण-समा-रोपः) | nominative singular, masculine | a compound: release, samā (समा), and ropa (रोप). Read it from the end |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not |
| saṃsāra-apakarṣa-ṇama (संसार-अपकर्ष-णम) | a compound, the ending is on the last member | a compound: the round, a lowering, and ṇama (णम). Read it from the end |
| yatra (यत्र) | indeclinable | where |
| kaḥ (कः) | nominative singular, masculine | who |
| tatra (तत्र) | indeclinable | there |
| saṃsāraḥ (संसारः) | nominative singular, masculine | the round |
| nirvāṇaṃ (निर्वाणं) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | release |
| kiṃ (किं) | nominative or accusative singular, neuter | what |
| vikalpyate (विकल्प्यते) | locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter | vikalpyata (विकल्प्यत) |
The phrases
na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. nirvāṇa-samā-ropaḥ (निर्वाण-समा-रोपः) is a compound: release, samā (समा), and ropa (रोप). Read it from the end. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. The line writes it nirvāṇasamāropo (निर्वाणसमारोपो). na (न) is not. It stands as indeclinable. saṃsāra-apakarṣa-ṇama (संसार-अपकर्ष-णम) is a compound: the round, a lowering, and ṇama (णम). Read it from the end. It stands as a compound, the ending is on the last member. yatra (यत्र) is where. It stands as indeclinable. kaḥ (कः) is who. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. The line writes it kas.
tatra (तत्र) is there. It stands as indeclinable. saṃsāraḥ (संसारः) is the round. It stands as nominative singular, masculine. The line writes it saṃsāro (संसारो). nirvāṇaṃ (निर्वाणं) is release. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. kiṃ (किं) is what. It stands as nominative or accusative singular, neuter. vikalpyate (विकल्प्यते) is vikalpyata (विकल्प्यत). It stands as locative singular, or nominative or accusative dual, neuter.
Sanskrit in this line
saṃsāra-apakarṣa-ṇama (संसार-अपकर्ष-णम) is one compound. The hyphen is a teaching mark. Only the last member wears the case. The line writes it nirvāṇasamāropo (निर्वाणसमारोपो). The line writes it kas. The line writes it saṃsāro (संसारो).
Say it back
Cover the English. Gloss nirvāṇa-samā-ropaḥ (निर्वाण-समा-रोपः) and saṃsāra-apakarṣa-ṇama (संसार-अपकर्ष-णम).